Safety strap for ski



July 1, 1969 G J SALOMON 3,452,999

SAFETY STRAP FOR SKI Filed Jan. so, 1967 Sheet 01 3 I //VV/V/ Fig. 3 Georges I? J 51410449 y 1969 G. P. J. SALOMON 3,

SAFETY STRAP FOR SKI Filed Jan. 30, 196'? Sheet of 3 y 1, 1969 I G. F'. J. SALOMON 3,

SAFETY STRAP FOR SKI FildJan. so, 1967 Sheet 3 of 5 mmy 3,452,999 SAFETY STRAP FOR SKI Georges P. J. Salomon, 34 Avenue de Loverchy, Annecy, France Filed Jan. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 612,481 Claims priority, application France, Jan. 29, 1966,

Int. Cl. A63c 9/08 US. Cl. 28011.35 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A strap for holding the ski to the leg of the skier when the safety harness has released the boot from the ski. The strap loosely circles the ankle and is fixed to the ski behind the boot. An elastic yoke is fastened across the strap to hold the latter on the ankle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the iruvention The present invention relates to safety straps for skis which are intended to hold the ski to the skiers leg when the safety harness has been released.

Description of the prior art The known safety straps are usually not extensible. They usually comprise buckles which are used for the adjustment of the strap and for holding the boot on the ski. These straps are generally not resilient and consequently are contrary to the principles of ski safety.

Furthermore, these straps usually hang along the ski and do not have a nice appearance. They could even be dangerous if they catch unexpected objects.

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages in a simple and efficient manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the strap is constituted by an inextensible and flexible band of material such as leather, to circle the boot substantially at the level of the ankle of the skier, the said band being fastened by means of a quick releasing and hooking device and maintained on the boot by an elastic yoke held by apertures provided in the band, the latter being connected to the ski or to a rear safety device by a cable preferably an elastic coiled cable such as the coiled cables used with telephone apparatuses.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the strap which is made of a flexible and inextensible material and closed by a buckle on the skiers ankle, is solidly fixed to the ski or to a rear safety device by a flexible, elastic or inextensible connection, preferably identical to the strap or being an integral part of the said strap such as an extension of it.

In addition, according to the invention, the strap is adjustable to the size of the ankle of the skier either by an elastic yoke connected across the strap or either by a part of a connecting snap link adjustable by a small screw solidly fixed to the end of the strap and adapted, after the passage of the latter around the said part of the connecting snap link to be introduced and fixed in apertures provided at the end of the said strap. The adjustment may be obtained by a sliding buckle of the self-locking type.

Furthermore, the elastic yoke for adjusting the strap is, after its introduction into the proper apertures of the strap, held by the pinching of its extremities. These extremities may have an expanded size, a ring or the like, the said ring being adapted to be covered by a protecting sleeve.

United States Patent O 3,452,999 Patented July 1, 1969 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be better understood by referring to the following description and to the annexed drawings which are provided as non-limitative examples of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a safety strap according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing in part, an elastic yoke connected to the strap according to FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a connecting snap link for closing of the strap shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a safety strap according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a partial perspective view of still another embodiment of the strap according to the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view showing a connection between the strap and the elastic yoke;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective-view of a safety strap according to a different embodiment of the present invennon;

FIGURE 8 represents a snap link the extremities of an adjustable strap in an unfastened arrangement;

FIGURE 9 represents one extremity of an adjustable strap according to a modification of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGURE 1, the extremities of a band 41 are connected around a boot 43, by a connecting snap link 42. The band 41 is elastically held on the boot 43 by an elastic yoke 46 adjustably mounted in the apertures 47 of the said band on which slides a sleeve 49 solidly connected to the elastic cable 50. The said cable 50 is preferably made in a similiar manner as the resiliently coiled cables used with telephones. The lower end of the cable 50 is fixed to a mounting block 52 solidly connected to the ski 53.

In FIGURE 2, the elastic yoke 46 comprises an expanded end 56 introduced in hole 47 of the strap 41 and pinched into the aperture 57 having a width substantially equal to the diameter of the yoke 46. The various holes 47 located on the strap 41 enable a quick and easy adjustment of the size of the opening in which the ankle of the boot 43 is engaged.

In FIGURE 3. the extremities of the strap are solidly fixed to each other. One extremity 60 is connected to a hook 63 by a rivet 62. The other extremity 71 is connected to a link 67 by a rivet 66. The link has a generally rectangular ring shape and has a disengaging leg 68. By the rotation of the leg 68 in the direction of the arrow 69, the latter is actuated as a cam to liberate the hook 63 whose extremity 70, after its passage through the connecting link 67, enables the separation of the two extremities of the strap.

In FIGURE 4, the strap 76 is closed by fastening means 77 around the boot 78, and the latter is tightened by the elastic yoke 79, solidly fixed to the strap 76. The said strap is connected to the mounting block 80 fixed to the ski 81 by a flexible link 82, which may be elastic or inextensible. A sleeve 83 connects the flexible link 82 to the strap. A rivet or screw 86 or the like connects the link 82 to the mounting block 80.

In FIGURES 5 and 6, the link which enables the connection between the strap 90 and the block 80 is constituted by an extension of the strap. The twist in the strap is fixed by a rivet 91 or the like. The strap is introduced into a U-shape bracket 92 and fixed on the block 80. The elastic yoke 79 is joined to the strap 90 (FIG- URE 5) or to the strap 76 (FIGURE 4) by a ring 96 or the like tightened on the elastic yoke 79. A hollow protecting sleeve 97 made of plastic material is foreseen to conceal the ring 96.

In FIGURE 7, the strap 100 circling the ankle of the skier, is provided with a snap link 101 enabling the closure and/or the adjustment of the strap, the latter being extended by a loop 102, held by a rivet 103. The loop 102 maintains the connection between the strap and the block 80. The loop 102 is fixed to the mounting block 80 by a stirrup 106.

In FIGURE 8, each extremity 110 and 111 of the strap is fixed, respectively, to an element 112 and 113 of a quick fastening and releasing snap link, the element 113 being maintained in an adjustable manner on the extremity 111 by means of a screw 116 fixed to the said end of the strap and introduced in one of the various holes 117 provided in the said strap 111.

In FIGURE 9, the strap 120 may be fixed by its extremity 121 to a connecting member suchas 113 of FIG URE 8, by means of a buckle 122, of the self-locking type in which the said strap 'is maintained in an adjustable manner.

The presentation, the shape, the dimensions or the proportions of the various specified elements in the above description may be changed without departing from the said description.

Furthermore, the strap made of any material or combination of material, may be maintained on the ankle .by various means and solidly fixed to the ski or parts mounted thereon without departing from the embodiment of the invention described.

I claim:

1. A safety strap adapted to be used to retain a ski boot to a ski comprising:

to the other end of the band, the said hook being released from the ring upon actuation of the arm.

4. A safety strap as recited in claim 2, wherein the snap link is adjustably fixed to one end of the band for changing the length of the said band.

5. A safety strap as recited in claim 1, wherein the band is provided with a plurality of openings and the elastic yoke has expanded extremities adapted to hook into the said apertures.

6. A safety strap as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible link is a resiliently coiled cable.

7. A safety strap as recited in claim 1, comprising a sleeve fixed at the end of the flexible link for surrounding the portion of the band spaced from the ski boot.

8. A safety strap as recited in claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprises means for adjustably changing the length of the band.

9. A safety strap as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for changing the length comprise a buckle having a part surrounded by one end of the band, a plurality of holes in the band at said one end and means for interconnecting two of the said holes.

10. A safety strap as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for changing the length consists of a self-locking said extremities in the said apertures.

a band having ends adapted to be fastened together and the boot with a portion of the'bandspaced from the boot, and t a flexible link connected between the ski and the portion of the band spaced from the ski boot. 2. A safety strap as recited in claim 1, wherein the connecting means consists of a snap link.

3. A safety strap as recited in claim 2, wherein the snap link comprises a rectangular ring fastened at one end to the band, a hook'having a releasing arm fastened 12. A safety strap as recited in claim 11, wherein the rings are covered by a hollow protecting sleeve.

13. A safety strap as recited in claim 1, wherein the link consists of a loop being an extension of the band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Weberling, German printed application, Nov. 26, 1964.

KENNETH H. BETTS, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

